Don't Deny It
by Chikorita-Trainer1
Summary: I'm bad at titles. Damian and Jon are best friends who do everything together. But now they have a secret between them. Can the two boys trust their parents with this secret? Or will it end up ripping them apart? Cover by me.
1. Chapter 01

**Don't Deny It: Chapter 01  
**

Chikorita-Trainer1  
T  
Disclaimer: I don't own DC comics or the movie IT.

 **Author's Note:** I'm a Damian+Colin shipper at heart, but it looks like DC is never going to bring Colin back. In the meantime, I can ship Jon+Dami, so that's what this story is about.

* * *

"What are you doing this weekend?" asked Georgia.

"Sleepover at Damian's," said Jon.

"How come you're always hanging out with that 7th grader?"

"He's my best friend," Jon answered.

"Yeah, but how do you even know each other?" Georgia persisted. It was unusual that 4th graders would interact, let alone be good friends with upperclassmen.

"Our dads are friends," said Jon. "So he and I get forced to spend time together a lot."

"Do you even like him?" said Georgia. "He's kind-of a jerk."

"Yeah, he can be. But he's also nice."

"When? When you guys are alone?"

"Yeah," said Jon. "I mean, we fight, sure, but we also have a lot in common."

"Like what?"

"Look, I can't really talk about it right now. I have to meet him at the heliport," Jon deflected. "See you Monday!" And he dashed off, waving at his female associate.

"Hey," said Damian, waiting in the field for Jon to arrive. "Did you ask your parents?"

"Yeah, they said it's OK," said Jon.

"Good. Because my brothers said it's really good and we have to watch it," said Damian.

"I've never read the book. Have you?"

"No. I'll get around to it, when I have the time."

"What about the original miniseries?" asked Jon. "With Tim Curry?"

"No, I haven't seen it," said Damian. "Stand back!" The grass on the field flattened and blew in all directions as the helicopter, piloted by Alfred Pennyworth, descended.

"Good afternoon, young masters," said the butler. "Jonathan, I trust everything is in order for the weekend?"

"Yeah, Mr. Pennyworth," said Jon. "My parents have already been briefed!"

"Debriefed," Damian corrected.

"Shut up!" And the trio left the West-Reeve school and headed for Gotham City.

* * *

Once at the Manor, the boys did their homework and played with the dogs, watched TV and played video games until it was time for dinner.

"Will you boys be sleeping in the living room tonight, or in Master Damian's bed?" asked Alfred.

"Uh, I don't know," mumbled Jon.

"Depends on how tired we are," asked Damian. "If we want to stay up late watching movies, we'll stay in the living room. If not, we'll sleep in my bed."

"Very good, sirs," said Alfred.

"Father, where are we going to patrol tonight?" asked Damian.

"Wherever we get the most calls from," said Bruce. "Though if it's in a particularly dangerous venue, I will handle it while you boys stay downtown." Damian growled under his breath at that. "Don't give me that crap!" Bruce scolded.

"I'll have Jon with me, it's not like I'll be in any real danger!" he complained. Jon giggled.

"It's not only about YOU," Bruce explained. "It's also about ME having my peace of mind. What have I told you before?"

Damian rolled his eyes and recited, "If you don't KNOW I'm safe, then you can't EFFECTIVELY do your job."

"Exactly," Bruce stated. "I can't concentrate on my own mission if I'm worried, in the back of my mind, about you."

"Why don't you just NOT WORRY about me?" Damian asked, half-rhetorically.

"OK, Damian, I'll do that," Bruce answered sarcastically. "I'll just reach inside my brain and turn off the switch that controls my love for my children. Done. That was easy."

"D, just relax," muttered Jon, taking hold of his friend's hand underneath the table. "It'll still be fun, even if we don't end up fighting that many bad guys."

"But-"

" _We can't control how we feel. Only how we behave,"_ Jon whispered into Damian's ear. The thirteen-year-old shivered at the sensation. He turned away from his father and looked into his friend's bright blue eyes. Both of them had been harboring a secret for weeks now, but weren't quite sure how to deal with it.

"Fine," Damian sighed.

* * *

After dinner, in the locker room of the Batcave, Damian and Jon changed into their uniforms. "You know it wasn't fair of you to say that to him," said Jon.

"What are you talking about?" asked Damian.

"Telling him to just 'not worry.' It's not possible to just TURN OFF your feelings. We know that better than anyone."

"Shh!" Damian hissed, looking over his shoulder. "I thought we weren't going to talk about that until…later."

"We're not _talking_ about it," Jon whispered back. "I'm just _referring_ to it."

"I'll be happy to _refer_ you too a good doctor if you don't shut your mouth!" Damian whispered harshly, mockingly raising his fist, as if to threaten the half-Kryptonian with a punch. Jon only giggled.

" _You're ridiculous,"_ he sighed. Damian smiled, and then quickly forced himself to stop.

"Let's just go. Father, we're ready!" he called.

The night was productive, the trio of vigilantes effectively stopped several crimes and made it back to the Manor by about one in the morning.

"Can we watch the movie now, Father?" asked Damian.

"Yeah, you've definitely earned it," said Bruce, proudly.

"YES!" the boys cheered to themselves.

"Has Mr. Pennyworth already gone to bed?" asked Jon.

"We can make our own popcorn, Jon, it's not that hard," Damian interrupted.

"I know, I just wanted to say goodnight to him," said Jon.

"Come on!" Damian said excitedly, pulling Jon to the locker room so they could get changed.

"Goodnight, Mr. Wayne!" Jon called. Bruce chuckled. He was so happy that his son had a best friend.

* * *

"Want to watch it with all the lights out?" asked Jon.

"I don't think it's _that_ kind of scary," said Damian, pulling one of his older brothers' oversized T-shirts over his head. "But sure, if you want."

"Cool!" said Jon, who had also changed into his pajamas. The boys went into the living room, popped a bowl of popcorn, and curled up together on the couch, their legs under a blanket.

The movie opened with a little boy asking his big brother to make him a paper boat to float down the drenched streets during a rainstorm.

"This is so old-timey," Jon commented. "Who does this anymore?"

"You're from Smallville, you tell me," said Damian, turning his head to face his friend. Jon just grinned, flashing his brilliant smile at Damian.

"I'm not from Smallville. I'm from Hamilton," Jon corrected.

"Oh right. My mistake," Damian fake-apologized. The two boys just leaned against each other, grinning.

"Oh my gosh, that's freaky!" Jon gasped when the clown's face emerged from the darkness of the storm drain.

"Please. You ever fought the Joker? This guy's got nothing on him," groaned Damian.

"Shh!" Jon shushed his friend.

"Oh, that's the kid from Stranger Things," Damian commented as the movie went on.

"My parents won't let me watch that," Jon commented.

"They won't let you watch Stranger Things but they WILL let you watch a movie about a clown that eats children?" Damian asked. Both boys laughed.

"Well, this is a special occasion," Jon explained. "They said I've been so good lately that I've _earned_ it."

"Makes NO sense, but OK," said Damian. "I mean, with all the stuff we're exposed to and all the people we fight, what are they trying to protect you from?"

"I don't know- OHMYGOSH!" Jon jumped when the painting of the woman came to life and approached one of the characters.

"Jeez!" Damian breathed, clutching Jon's thigh under the blanket. "Yeah, that was freaky," he admitted.

" _You're not scared, are you?"_ Jon whispered.

" _Not when you're around,"_ Damian sighed back. The two boys stared at each other for a few seconds, then tore their gazes apart and went back to looking at the screen.

"What movie is this?" asked Bruce, as he walked into the room with a magazine under his arm.

"It," said Damian.

"Ah yes, the evil clown movie," Bruce said, unimpressed, as he sat down in a chair.

"I know, right?" Damian boasted, as if he hadn't been frightened just a moment ago. Bruce Wayne, having encountered the Clown Prince of Crime more often than he'd like to be able to recall, sat back and watched the story unfold. Jon and Damian were actually a bit relieved- not because they were too scared to watch the film without an adult present, but because they didn't trust themselves to be alone together.

By the time the bully Patrick had been eaten alive in the sewers, Bruce jumped a little. "Jon, do your parents know you're watching this?"

"Yes, Mr. Wayne. They said it's OK," said Jon. "They actually said they believe it's a rite of passage for a kid to be scared out of his wits at at least ONE horror movie in his life."

"Are you kidding me?" Bruce laughed. But then he realized how silly a concept it would be for a man like him, Batman, to think to criticize other parents for what they allow their kid to be exposed to. "I mean, yeah. In a way, that's true."

As the movie went on, the three individuals talked less amongst themselves. Bruce seemed to be very engrossed in the picture; probably more than he expected to be.

At the climax, when all of the Losers Club were together in the sewers, and Bill was approached by Georgie, who was missing an arm and clutching his little paper boat, Bruce seemed to squirm a bit. It went unnoticed by Jon, but Damian, who fancied himself an even greater detective than Batman, took heed of the signs of discomfort that his father was displaying.

"Take me home, Billy," said the little boy onscreen. "I want to go home! I miss you, I want to be with Mom and Dad!"

"I want more than anything for you to be home," said Bill. "With Mom…and Dad…I miss you so much."

"…I love you, Billy."

"I love you, too," said the older brother. But then he tearfully raised the bolt gun at the child's head. "But you're not Georgie." And fired a bolt into the kid's head. The kid fell back, apparently dead, and then transformed back into Pennywise.

Bruce got up suddenly and left the room.

"Your dad's scared of a clown!" Jon teased.

"My father is not afraid of anything!" Damian defended. But the thirteen-year-old stretched his neck to turn his head and watch as his father disappeared into the darkness of the Manor, and didn't return.

The movie reached its conclusion, with the older brother finally accepting his little brother's death, and his friends comforting him. But instead of saying THE END, the movie just said CHAPTER ONE.

"When's the next one coming out?" asked Jon.

"Not sure yet. Ask Siri," said Damian, flipping the blanket off of their laps and getting up from the couch. "You want to sleep here or in my room?"

"Definitely your room!" said Jon, all freaked out from the movie. "I mean, if that's OK-"

"Yeah, it's fine. I just need to go check something," said Damian.

"OK, I'm going to go brush my teeth," said Jon.

* * *

"Father?" asked Damian, entering Bruce's room.

"You boys going to sleep?" asked Bruce, looking up from his magazine.

"Yeah, in a minute. Are you alright? You left kind-of abruptly during that movie," said Damian, crawling up onto the bed. "Were you scared?"

"Not _scared_ -scared," said Bruce. "More like…triggered."

"By what? Clowns?"

"No. The temptation," said Bruce. "Of seeing someone you lost, who you really want back, but having to tell yourself that they're not real."

"Oh," said Damian. "When did-"

"Years ago. Jason," said Bruce. "Clayface had gotten a hold of Tim. Was using him to lure me out. He had disguised himself as Jason, and almost convinced me. He begged me to give him an answer as to why I let the Joker kill him. Why I didn't love him. But that's when I knew."

"What was?"

"Begging me for my love. That's how I knew it wasn't really him. Because Jason never would have asked that. Jason knew how much I loved him," Bruce said, with the slightest lump in his throat.

"I see," said Damian.

For all the bravado and appearance and intimidation, Damian sometimes forgot that his father was still a human being, with feelings and fears and regrets and all of that. It was very humbling to see his seemingly-invincible father be reduced to an emotionally-fragile man, nearly brought to tears by an exceptionally well-done movie aimed at children. It reminded Damian that emotions were not something that could be as easily-controlled as he thought. Feelings are going to happen whether you want them to or not. Repressing them will only make them stronger. If one fears their own feelings, one is setting themselves up for difficulty and poor health. He realized then that suppressing his feelings was only going to hurt him in the long run.

"But all that aside, did you boys like the movie?"

"Yeah. It was really good," said Damian. "And I know that if I ever went missing, you and my brothers would never stop looking for me."

"That's right," said Bruce, reaching out and pulling his son into his arms. "You are very loved. I hope you know that."

"I do, Father," said Damian, letting himself be snuggled.

"You have so many people in your life who love you," said Bruce, burying his face in Damian's hair.

"I know, Father. In fact, I-"

"What?"

"Uh, it's, uh…well, I can tell you later."

"OK," said Bruce, giving his son a kiss on the top of his head and releasing him. "Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight, Father."

* * *

"Did you tell him?"

"No. It didn't seem like the right time," said Damian, flipping back the covers of his bed and letting Jon crawl in.

"We're going to have to bring it to light sooner or later. If we keep it a secret, they're bound to find out."

"I know. I just don't know if it's something we should _act_ on. I'm not sure it's right."

"But, Dami-"

"I want to! You know I do," Damian insisted, resting his hand on the side of Jon's face. "We can't help the way we _feel_ , but we can help the way we _behave_."

"Is it really wrong?"

"No. I don't know- the age difference- I don't know!" Damian said. "But I do…I _do_ , you know."

"I know. Me too," said Jon. Damian smiled.

" _And I want to kiss you so bad,"_ Damian whispered.

" _Then do it."_

" _But you're ten!"_

" _So what? I understand the situation in front of me. You're not 'taking advantage' of me. I want you to."_

Damian just stared deeper into his friend's eyes and leaned in, closer and closer. Jon finally took the initiative and closed the distance between them.

" _See? And nothing bad happened."_

" _Goodnight,"_ Damian sighed, and pulled Jon closer to him so that they were sleeping face-to-face.

The next morning, Damian was surprised to have woken up in Jon's arms. Why was it that this ten-year-old boy, who was so much less-experienced in life than him, was able to be the comforting, dominating presence? Damian was older, shouldn't he be the one who comforts and protects Jon? It didn't make any sense.

But here they were, cuddling as if they were a couple who'd been in an emotionally mature relationship for quite some time now. Damian felt more relaxed than he ever had in his life. Despite their age difference, he really felt as if he and Jon were equals. Three years is a big deal when you're kids, but for some reason, this dynamic felt natural. And more than natural, it felt _right._

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 01  
Please review, thanks.


	2. Chapter 02

**Don't Deny It Chapter 02**  
Chikorita-Trainer1  
T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman, Super Sons, or anything else I might make references to.

* * *

Damian stirred a little, and Jon woke up.

" _G'morning,"_ he slurred sleepily.

" _Morning,"_ Damian breathed, wriggling out from under his friend's arms. "You sleep OK?"

"Yeah," said Jon. "You?"

"Uh, alright, I guess," said Damian.

"Just so you know, I could feel your heart rate all night. You must have been having a bad clown dream."

"Well, I don't remember anything," Damian said defensively.

"I know. I'm just saying, I could feel it," said Jon. Damian frowned and looked away. "Don't be mad,"

"I'm not mad," said Damian, turning back to face him. "It's actually nice to know you're so in tune with me. I wish I could do the same for you."

After a few more moments of silence, Jon admitted, _"I like this."_

"Hmm?"

" _This. Right now, what we're doing. I just want things to be like this,"_ he clarified. Holding each other, warm and safe in bed.

"Me, too," sighed Damian. He snuggled his head a little deeper into Jon's chest, and Jon stroked Damian's hair, breathing in its scent.

"Do you really think our parents would have a problem with us doing this?" asked Jon.

"I just don't want to tell them yet!" Damian insisted.

"Alright, alright."

Alfred served the boys a lavish breakfast of pancakes, waffles, fruit, eggs and bacon. Jon put away a lot of it, which Damian attributed to his Kryptonian genes. Damian also put away a significant amount, for the reason he liked to believe was that he was a teenager, and teenagers eat a lot.

"Where's my father?" asked Damian.

"Still sleeping, I presume," said Alfred. "Master Bruce is not a morning person."

"No kidding," said Jon.

"What do you boys have planned for today?" asked the butler.

"Probably play outside," said Damian. "Weather permitting."

"The forecast said it is to be quite pleasant all day," said Alfred.

"Cool," said Jon. "Want to take Titus and Ace out and run around the yard?"

"Yeah," said Damian. "Thank you for breakfast, Pennyworth. We really ought to be getting dressed now."

"Yes. Very delicious. Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth!" said Jon, excusing himself from the table and following Damian up the stairs.

"Can you stop being such a kiss-ass?" Damian muttered. "You're always so overly-polite to him."

"I'm a guest here, Damian," said Jon.

"Yeah, but you don't have to lay it on so thick," said Damian as they entered the bathroom to brush their teeth.

"Lay WHAT on?"

"It's just an expression. Never mind."

"I'm not going to apologize for having manners, D," said Jon. Both boys lathered up their toothbrushes and began cleaning their teeth. Though they didn't ever tear their gazes off their own reflections in the mirror, they were having an unspoken competition of who could do a better job and finish first.

Jon won, of course, because he had super-speed. He rinsed and spat and flashed his heart-stopping smile a full five seconds before Damian considered himself done.

"Slowpoke," Jon said teasingly. He was about to walk out the door when Damian grabbed him by the elbow, and pulled him back, and kissed him.

It was a beautifully refreshing kiss; minty-fresh, considering what they'd just been doing. It lasted longer than the kiss they'd shared last night, too. That had just been a quick peck- this one lasted a few seconds.

When Damian slowly pulled away, Jon looked bewildered. As if kissing Damian was like discovering a new superpower. It opened up a whole new world to the young boy.

Nothing else was said as the boys changed out of their pajamas and into their civilian clothes.

* * *

"Hey, so what are we?" asked Jon, as he and Damian walked through the shaded area of the Wayne estate.

"I don't know yet," said Damian.

"OK, but what do you _want_ us to be?" asked Jon.

"I thought that was pretty self-explanatory," Damian deflected.

"Then why can't you say it?"

"You know why," said Damian. "I'm not sure it's right."

"It's not WRONG. I don't know why this age-difference thing has your panties in such a bunch," Jon complained.

"It's not- it's not THAT, it's just- I-" Damian stuttered. "I don't know."

"Are you afraid of what your dad will think? Or your brothers?"

"I'm not afraid."

"It's OK If you are. Don't deny it," said Jon.

"What if it breaks us apart?" asked Damian. "What if, the second we make it official, all the passion goes out of it?"

"Why would that happen?"

"I don't know. But it feels so good right now, and right now it's a secret," said Damian.

"WHAT is? Are we giving it a label or what?" Jon challenged.

"Does it really matter?" asked Damian, pulling Jon into his arms and pushing him back a little further into the shade. "I like you, THAT I know."

"I like you, too, Damian," whispered Jon. Damian sighed and took off Jon's fake glasses. _"I like it when you hold me, and when you kiss me."_

" _I like that, too,"_ Damian whispered, leaning in again. Jon grinned and flew up into the sky.

"But you have to work for it!" he called, teasingly. Damian grinned and jumped up to grab onto a tree branch, as if to follow Jon into the sky.

Damian made it as far as he could up in the tree before the branches would become too weak to support him.

"You're it!" Damian called, swiping at Jon's shoe and barely grazing it with his finger. Then he jumped back down, lightly gripping the trunk of the tree, and slid back down to the ground.

"I don't think so!" Jon called, soaring over the trees as to cut Damian off somewhere in the yard. Damian was too busy running and looking back over his shoulder to notice Jon floating right in front of him.

"AHH!" cried Damian.

"Gotcha!" said Jon, reaching out and wrapping his arms around Damian. Damian quickly bowed out of Jon's grip, and slipped away.

"Not quick enough!" he called, and dashed off into the shadows.

"YOU KNOW I HAVE X-RAY VISION, RIGHT?!" yelled Jon.

"OH YEAH? SO WHERE AM I?" called Damian.

And so the game of hide-and-seek/tag went on.

* * *

The following Monday at school, Jon and Damian had lunch together. They did so every day, and it was starting to bother Jon's fellow 4th-graders.

"Hey, Jon? Why don't you come sit with us?" said one kid, Miles.

"No, thanks," said Jon.

"Come on, you always eat with him!" insisted another kid, James.

"He's my best friend."

"Yeah, how are you friends with this twit, anyway?" said James.

"Hey! Take that back!" Jon shouted, standing up.

"It's OK, Jon. I don't care," said Damian. Miles leaned forward and tipped Damian's milk carton over, spilling it onto the Wayne heir's lap.

"Ha! Frickin' klutz!" laughed James.

"That was on purpose!" cried Jon. Damian quietly got up and went to the boys' room, acting like nothing bothered him. But it sure bothered Jon.

"What's your problem? Why are you picking on him?" Jon demanded of Miles and James.

"Why are you friends with him? He's a total snob!"

"Yeah, he never talks to anyone. Unless he's showing off in class and getting them extra homework."

"You don't know him like I do," said Jon. "He's smart, he's fun. He's RICH, I don't know if you know."

"Believe me, we know," said Miles. "That's probably why he's so stuck-up."

"Why don't you just leave us alone? We're friends! How does my friendship with him affect you?" Jon argued.

"It says a lot about you, Kent," said James. "Being friends with that jag-off."

"You two are total gaylords is what it says," laughed James.

"Shut up!"

"What's going on here?" said a teacher. James and Miles quickly scuttled away. Jon looked up at the teacher, Mr. Richter, and sighed.

"Nothing, sir. It's over."

[texting]

 **Jon: You in the bathroom?  
**

 **Damian: Yeah.**

Putting his phone in his pocket, Jon walked into the boys' room. It was empty, save for the large handicap stall, which Damian was standing in, and the hand-dryer was on, and Damian had laid his pants across it, to dry them off before lunch period was over.

"Can you come out and talk to me?" asked Jon.

"Uh, I'd rather not. I'm in my underwear," said Damian.

"Hey, it's not like I haven't seen you in short-shorts before," Jon said suggestively.

" _Get in here, Kent."_ Damian opened the stall door, reached out and grabbed Jon by the necktie, and pulled him in for a kiss. It was deeper and more passionate than the last one they'd shared. "You sure no one saw you come in here?"

" _Positive,"_ huffed Jon, out of breath. _"You're a really good kisser."_

"tt. And how many others have you kissed?"

"None," Jon smiled. "But it feels so good when you do it."

"So what went down after I left?" Damian asked as he and Jon exited the stall.

"Eh, not much. Mr. Richter came in and broke it up."

"And the larvae?" Damian drawled, referring to the bullies as the spawn of insects.

"Uh, they called us 'gaylords,'" said Jon.

"Rrrrmgh…" grumbled Damian.

"Well, we are, aren't we?"

Damian sighed as he took his pants down off the hand dryer. Even though they were dry, he pressed the button again, starting it up once more, so as to muffle the sound of their talking.

"I'd prefer people not know about us."

"Why? If we come out and say like 'Yeah. We're gay. FOR EACH OTHER. WHAT?' they'll shut up."

"Probably not," said Damian.

"Hey, I've been going to regular school a lot longer than you have, you home-schooled jungle-freak."

"Pffff! _What?"_ giggled Damian.

"Never mind. The point is, this is how bullies are. If you deny something, they'll just keep teasing you about it. But if you own it-"

"Not yet!" Damian insisted, grabbing the lapels of Jon's blazer. "Can we just keep it on the D.L. for now?"

Jon sighed.

"You know it's impossible to say 'no' to you, right?"

"Yeah, I know it," Damian agreed with a grin. They boys kissed again.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 02  
Please review, thanks.


	3. Chapter 03

**Don't Deny It Chapter 03**  
Chikorita-Trainer1  
T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman, Super Sons, Thumbelina or anything else I might make references to in this chapter.

 **Author's note:** If you look on my tumblr and deviantart accounts, you'll see many pieces of fan art, all depicting Damian and Jon as different animated characters, kissing. My latest piece is from Thumbelina, which I don't even like, to be honest. I mean, there are things about it I like, but mostly I find the movie very dorky and shlocky. Nevertheless, it was on my mind when I was inspired to write this chapter.

* * *

Damian and Jon continued their charade of mere friendship at school, but whenever Jon brought up the subject of the two of them legitimately dating, Damian shot it down, claiming that he just didn't want to declare it yet. While this frustrated Jon, he knew there was nothing he could do. He couldn't force Damian to acknowledge their relationship any more than he could suppress his feelings for the older boy.

Damian was at war with himself, trying to find reason enough in his fondness of Jon to justify their age difference, while at the same time forcing himself to be aware of social norms and standards, and adhere to the high moral character he believed his father set for him.

A good way to distract himself from his dilemma, he thought, would be to throw himself into his schoolwork. But as he found, no matter how hard he tried to avoid the subject of relationships, that seemed to be all he could think about. Case in point, when assigned a research paper on any topic of his choosing, Damian chose the topic of romantic relationships. Or more specifically, society's expectations of them versus reality.

* * *

Dick Grayson, on a visit to Wayne Manor, was quietly making his way up to his littlest brother's room. He peeked his head in the door to find Damian sitting on his bed with his laptop alight in front of him.

"Hey, D, what're you watching?" he asked softly as he tiptoed over to the bed to sit down beside the child. Damian quickly closed the computer.

"Nothing that concerns you, Grayson," he asserted, trying to avoid embarrassment.

"Ah! I saw Jacquimo! You're watching Thumbelina!" Dick declared. Damian grimaced and opened the laptop again, though he kept the movie paused.

"How could you tell from glancing at one frame for less than a second?" he asked, though mentally he answered the question himself—they're a family of detectives.

"I've seen this movie lots of times," Dick explained. "It's a good one."

"I would have to disagree vastly with you on that," Damian scoffed. "It's dreck. Absolutely outdated notions of love and relationships. Even for a fairy tale."

"In that case, why are you watching it?" Dick challenged.

"If you must know, I'm writing a report for school on misplaced relationship ideology and expectations that women have been taught to have that fuel the patriarchy."

"Of course," sighed Dick, rolling his eyes. Not that he wasn't proud of his brother for tackling a subject like that.

"Films and stories like this feed into people's minds that love will come on a whim and be perfect right off the bat. That physical attraction equates emotional compatibility and that all will be well for a couple as long as they believe their love is pure."

"While you're absolutely right about that, keep in mind it _is_ a movie, and a children's one at that," said Dick.

"All the more reason to criticize," said Damian. "Children are especially impressionable and ought to be taught more realistic lessons at a young age."

"Well, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Dick said, ruffling Damian's hair. "But seriously, Damian. Who are you to judge people's expectations and experiences of love? Have you ever been in a relationship?"

"That is irrelevant. One doesn't have to have experienced _infatuation_ to know that _love_ is a different concept entirely. And anyway, saying that _I_ personally haven't experienced love doesn't make it any less true for many others. I believe many people in the world _believe_ they have experienced love when in fact all they have experienced is attraction. It's different."

"It's _part_ of it," Dick said patiently.

"Well, you'd know more than anyone, wouldn't you?" Damian growled, trying to turn the focus of the discussion off of himself. "You've engaged in more 'relationships' with women than anyone I know. I doubt every single one of those was based on 'love' and not merely 'lust.' I've noticed that many members of the human race tend to confuse the two."

"Yeah, you're definitely right about that. Many people experience lust and confuse it with love," Dick conceded.

"You among them?"

"Probably," Dick admitted. He didn't take much offense, though. He could see through Damian's insecurities like glass.

"Exactly. When the notion of 'love' is marketed to children, and particularly to women, as the greatest experience and primarily the most important experience in life, it sets one up for a life of co-dependency and emotional need that ultimately is unhealthy and leads to disappointing and unfulfilling lives."

"You are way too young to be this cynical, D," said Dick. "Though you are your father's son, so…"

"That being established, can you please leave me to my research?" Damian said haughtily.

"Call it what you want," Dick sighed, getting up and leaving the room with a smile.

[texting]

 **Dick:** **You might need to have a talk with Damian. Not THE talk, just a talk. I think he's going through something.**

 **Bruce: World's Greatest Detective here, dummy. You think I haven't noticed? ;)**

* * *

The next day at school, after Damian had handed in his report, he met up with Jon for lunch. It was a nice day, and the students had been given permission to eat outside if they pleased. Sitting in the shade under a big tree, the two boys conversed.

"Did you give your report?" asked Jon.

"It wasn't oral. I just handed it in," said Damian.

"Oral?"

"It means spoken word. Oral pertains to the mouth."

"Oh," said Jon, not quite up to Damian's standard of vocabulary.

"What was it about, again?" asked the half-Kryptonian.

"'Unrealistic Relationship Expectations That Fuel the Patriarchy'," Damian recited.

"Oh yeah. And what exactly do you know about relationships?" Jon teased with a smirk. Damian glared in return.

"From the articles I've researched, I've come to understand that many people believe that love conquers all, and that love is more important that anything else in life. My thesis refutes that notion and suggests that there are more important things, like LOGIC, and JUSTICE. People who remain in toxic or abusive relationships- because they have been taught to believe that as long as they LOVE the person, that's all that matters- are detrimental to society. They will tolerate crime, violence and violations of basic human dignities all in the name of 'love.' I find that notion despicable. I think one should place logic, justice and common sense above love at all times."

Jon looked aghast at his friend. Needless to say he didn't catch quite every word Damian had used, but he got the gist of it; Damian was saying that given the choice, he wouldn't choose love if it meant that something else might be compromised.

"So…what you're saying is…if you can find some reason not to be in a relationship, you're not going to be in one?"

Damian knew where this was going, but he had already started the conversation, and his pride wouldn't let him back out of it.

"I think, if there is, in fact, a legal or moral flaw in the relationship, yes. It would be better not to engage in it at all. Compromising morals and the law isn't what I—what we—people like us—do."

People like us. He meant superheroes. Upholders of the law. Fighters for truth and justice.

Jon put down his fork in his Tupperware and looked down, tears forming behind his fake glasses.

"So you don't want to be with me?" he said. Before Damian could answer, he continued speaking. "Or rather, you want to be with me, but because you can't look past our age difference, which you see as WRONG, you are going to CHOOSE not to be with me?"

"I, I mean…wouldn't it be hypocritical of me to do otherwise?" Damian said softly.

Jon wiped his nose on his sleeve and began collecting his garbage to throw away.

"I don't get you, Damian," Jon sniffed. "Your very life is morally compromised. Your dad is morally compromised. You are a minor, going out every night to leap in front of bullets and jump in the path of speeding cars. Your father commits child endangerment every night, yet you can't look past a three year age difference?"

"That's different. I choose to go out there with my father every—"

"And I choose to be with you," said Jon. "You can make decisions for yourself despite your father being MUCH older than you, but I can't make decisions for myself despite you being a mere THREE YEARS older than me? You really think this makes you some kind of creep? Some kind of pedophile? You're reading WAY too much into this, it's not even funny."

"Well, then, maybe you shouldn't want to be with me, if I'm so insufferable!" Damian growled.

Jon blinked back his tears, gathered up his trash, and stood up.

"Normally I would say, I'm not going to be here, waiting around for you to come to your senses while you figure this out," he said. "But the fact is, I will be. I WILL be here waiting for you to wise up, because I love you."

Damian's eyes widened at what Jon had just admitted.

Jon's heart started pounding at his own revelation.

Neither boy said anything as Jon turned on his heel and walked away from Damian, who was left dumbstruck and stone-faced.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 03  
Please review, thanks.


	4. Chapter 04

**Don't Deny It Chapter 04**  
Chikorita-Trainer1  
T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or Super Sons.

* * *

"Hey, Dad?" asked Jon.

"Yeah, bud?" replied Clark.

"Can I talk to you about something kind-of personal?"

"Of course, son. Sit down," said Clark, setting his newspaper aside. Jon sat down at the table with his dad.

"Well, I like someone," Jon stated. Clark nodded. "And they like me. They've told me so."

"That's good," said Clark, smiling.

"Well, it's actually not. Because even though they like me, they don't want to date me."

"Why not?"

Jon took a deep breath and rolled his eyes.

"I'm not entirely sure. They say because of our age difference. They're older. And I think they're worried that because of that, that makes our relationship creepy."

Clark chuckled. "Yeah, sounds like he takes after his dad. Always over-analyzing everything." Jon's eyes widened and his stomach knotted.

"It's that obvious?" he asked.

"Everything about you is obvious, son," said Clark. "When I pick you up from hanging out with him, and I step into the room with the two of you, I can hear your heart pounding, your pulse racing. I know you have feelings for Damian."

"Jeez!" groaned Jon, thunking his head down on the kitchen table. "Did I get ANY powers that are good for concealment?"

"That's not in my repertoire," said Clark. "The best weapon of concealment I have is…well, these," he gestured to his glasses.

"Anyway, we talked about making it official, but he just doesn't want to. And, even though he says it's because of the age difference, I'm worried it's because he doesn't really like me. And maybe he just doesn't want to hurt my feelings, so he's using that as an excuse."

"That doesn't sound like Damian," said Clark. "He's pretty blunt, isn't he? If he didn't actually like you, why wouldn't he just say that?"

"I don't know," said Jon.

"What do you feel from him?"

"Uh, pretty much what you said. His heart beating, his pulse racing."

"Well, then that means he definitely does have feelings for you," said Clark. "And you say it's this age difference thing that's getting in the way?"

"That's what he _says_ ," said Jon. "But I've told him it doesn't matter. We're not THAT far apart, and it's not interfering with anything, so what's the problem? I feel like there's something he's not telling me."

"He might not be as emotionally mature as he seems, son," said Clark. "Like his father, he might just be afraid to be happy."

"Batman's afraid to be happy?"

"OH, like you wouldn't believe!" said Clark. "He's spent his entire career milking his hurt and misery. I think he thinks that if he lets himself be happy, he'll lose what it is that drives him, and he'll go soft."

"That's dumb," grumbled Jon.

"Big time," Clark agreed.

"So what do I do?"

"I guess just be patient," said Clark. "I know it's hard, but if he's not ready to be your boyfriend, you should respect that. Just accept what he's willing to give you for now."

"But…Dad…I…" Jon squeaked, lifting his glasses up and pinching the bridge of his nose, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"What?"

 _"I don't know if I can,"_ Jon continued, his voice cracking. _"I really love him."_

"Oh, Jonno," sighed Clark, opening his arms. Jon floated over and embraced his father. "I know it's hard. But you can't force him."

 _"I told him I love him,"_ Jon mumbled into his father's shirt. _"He didn't say anything back."_

"Probably because he didn't know what to say."

 _"I probably ruined everything,"_ Jon cried.

"Shh. Jon, it's OK. Just give it time."

"When I'm with him, I just want to protect him. And when I'm not with him, he's all I think about."

"I'm happy you've found that with him, son," said Clark. "I really am."

"I _haven't_ found anything. There's nothing there."

"There's something," said Clark. "And if he's worth it, then he's also worth waiting for."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that phrase!" said Jon, suddenly perking up. "Thanks, Dad!" And the young half-alien got up from the table and flew away to his room, smiling.

 _Wow! #parenting!_ thought Clark.

* * *

" _I love you."_

The words echoed in Damian's mind every second of the day. He had never heard those words from anyone outside his family. He never dreamed he would. Someone loved him. Someone he loved romantically loved him back.

Why couldn't he let go of his fears and just BE with him? What was stopping him? No one besides himself was telling him that there was a reason for them not to be together. Why was he standing in his own way? Who taught him that a ten-year-old and a thirteen-year-old couldn't date? Where had he learned that? Who put that idea in his head? Why was he torturing himself?

That night, as Bruce was getting ready for bed, Damian came into his room and hopped up on the bed.

"Father?"

"Yeah?"

"Have any of my brothers ever dated anyone you didn't approve of?"

"Heh, well, I was always suspicious of Dicks' girlfriends," Bruce admitted easily. "Secret identities being compromised, but he's mostly dated within the vigilante community, so that helps."

"What about Todd or Drake?"

"Jason…if he's had any girlfriends, he never introduced me to them. Tim's first girlfriend was a girl named Ariana. He had to keep his identity as Robin a secret from her, but at that time he was also keeping Robin a secret from his father, so I trusted him. And when he started dating Spoiler, well, she knew he was Robin but NOT that he was Tim Drake."

"But did you approve…morally?"

"Morally? Damian, why would I-? Oh. Heh. Well, I'm not sure he'd appreciate me telling you this, but Tim is a good boy. And by that I mean…"

Bruce tilted his hand back and forth.

"A virgin," Damian said.

"Yes. And, I imagine it's not for any ethical reasons, but because Tim is always calculating risks before he takes action, and sex is always a risk."

"Right. I, I wasn't asking about who's had sex with whom…"

"What are you asking?" Bruce said softly.

The child was silent.

"Damian?" he asked with a smile. Damian looked up fearfully. "Do you like someone?"

Damian's face heated up instantly. A tingling surge rose up from his stomach and into his chest. He felt his heart rate accelerate.

" _Oh, God…"_ Damian breathed. He got up and turned away.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Damian," Bruce said sternly. Damian stopped. "Turn around," said Bruce. Damian turned slowly to see his father beckoning him towards him with his finger. "Sit down," Bruce commanded. Damian returned to his seat on the bed, visibly shaking.

"I'm your father. I'm allowed to ask these questions," Bruce explained gently. "Do you like someone?"

Damian gulped. "Yes."

"OK. Does this person know you're Robin?"

"Yes," Damian felt somewhat relieved that his father deliberately said "this person" and not "this girl."

Could he know?

"Does this person also have a double-life as a crimefighter?"

"Yes."

"Is this person Jon?"

Damian sitting cross-legged on the bed, simply leaned forward, still cross-legged, until his face met with the mattress.

Bruce chuckled and reached out and ruffled his son's hair.

"It's OK, son," he said softly. "Honestly, there's no one better for you I could think of."

Damian suddenly looked up. "Wait—really? You APPROVE?!"

"Of course. The son of Superman. He's a bright boy, he's kind, he can protect you, I already get along with his parents."

"But he's three years younger than me!"

"Wh—THAT? That's what you've been worried about?"

"Well, that and the GAY thing," Damian admitted.

"'GAY thing'?" said Bruce. "It's not a thing, it's a fact. And it's fine. Damian, I'm not homophobic. For goodness's sake, I've built my life around fighting for JUSTICE."

"Uh, good point."

Bruce tried to soften his laughter as he held out his arms.

"Come here, Damian," said Bruce. Damian crawled into his father's arms and turned around so that his back was pressed against Bruce's chest. "Now, does Jon know how you feel?"

"We've been, kind-of 'together' for a while now," Damian admitted.

"Really?" asked Bruce.

"Yeah. I mean, we haven't been on an actual DATE yet, but we know how we feel about each other."

"And do his parents know?"

"Uh, I don't know. I don't think so. I've been making him keep it a secret," Damian explained.

"Why?"

"Because I've been worried that there's a problem with our age difference," said Damian.

"Why? Three years is nothing," said Bruce.

"Maybe to adults, but we're just kids. Three years is a big difference to us," said Damian. "Maybe not now, but when I'm eighteen he'll still be fifteen. I'd be an adult in a relationship with a minor, which would be illegal."

"OK, first of all, you're NOT fifteen and eighteen yet, so don't worry about that right now," said Bruce. "And second of all, in some states, there are ways around that. They're called Romeo and Juliet laws, and they're in place for this exact situation. If the age difference between two people makes the relationship technically illegal, as long as both sets of parents approve, AND as long as the couple has been together since BEFORE the age difference came into play, it's legal. But most importantly, as long as there's no SEX involved, it's OK." Damian cringed at the mention of sex. OF COURSE there would be no sex involved! What did his father take him for?

"Seriously?" Damian asked, with one eyebrow raised. This seemed a little too good to be true, and also kind-of creepy at the same time.

"That can't _really_ be what was stopping you," said Bruce.

"Why can't it?"

"Because since when have you been a morally-upright, law-abiding, ethics-driven person?"

"Gee, thanks a lot, Father!"

Bruce threw his head back with laughter.

"I'm serious, Damian. You've committed MURDER in your life. Why would dating someone younger than you—"

"Because it's an entirely different matter!" Damian argued. "And anyway, I've changed. I didn't KNOW murder was wrong while I was being raised in the League. It wasn't my fault. I didn't know any better!"

"I know. I know. I'm sorry," said Bruce. "And you're right, relationship ethics are a different matter than killing."

"I just don't want to do something illegal, if I can help it," sighed Damian.

"Well, you're not doing anything illegal, trust me," said Bruce. "Not that I'm unhappy that you're aware of the law and social norms and stuff like that. But Damian, I don't think that's really the reason you've been avoiding this."

"Then what's the reason?"

"Could it be that you're just scared to be in love? And that you were just LOOKING for any reason to keep from being with Jon?" Bruce asked. Damian's eyes widened and he looked away. "Everyone is a little scared to fall in love. To give someone your heart is a big risk. Trusting someone with your most vulnerable self is frightening."

"I guess," said Damian.

"If there were no such laws preventing adults from dating minors—if there were no such labels as adults and minors, would you still be as hesitant?"

"Probably," Damian admitted.

"Love doesn't happen every day," said Bruce. "Take it from me, it's a miracle if you find it at all. Don't punish yourself because you think the universe doesn't want you to be happy."

"I've done terrible things, Father," said Damian.

"But you've changed. You've come a long way since then. Don't punish yourself and deny yourself happiness. If the universe has given you a chance at love, take it."

"Even if one day it becomes technically illegal?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, son," said Bruce. "For now, go ahead and be a kid. And for the record, no one is going to look at you and Jon together and be like "Ew, why are those kids dating? They're so far apart in age!" Nobody in our immediate families or close friendships is going to think anything of it just because you're ten and thirteen. All anyone's going to see is two kids who like each other, being together. There's nothing wrong with that."

Damian took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"If you say so."

"I think, one day, you'll probably look back on this, and laugh," Bruce said. "Now, just so we're clear; if you and Jon want to be boyfriend and boyfriend, I approve. And I'm sure Clark and Lois will approve, too. It's all up to you at this point."

"You mean I have to tell Jon I love him?" asked Damian.

"That would be amenable, yes," Bruce said with a grin. Damian blushed and buried his face in his hands.

 **Damian: Hey**

 **Jon: Hey**

 **Damian: Can we meet up at the FOA? I want to talk.**

 **Jon: Sure**

 **Damian: C U there.**

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 04  
Please review, thanks.


	5. Chapter 05

**Don't Deny It: Chapter 05**  
Chikorita-Trainer1  
T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or Super Sons.

* * *

"So, what's this all about?" asked Jon, when Damian arrived at the Fortress of Attitude.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking," said Damian. "And I realize I might have been…wrong."

"Damian Wayne, admitting he was wrong?" Jon asked in mock-surprise. "I'll call CNN!"

"Very funny, alien," Damian growled. He took off his gloves and mask and sat down on the couch at the far end of their headquarters. "I mean, I realize I was avoiding the issue. The reason I've been hesitant to acknowledge our relationship is not just because of our age difference, but rather…" the Son of Batman trailed off. Jon sat down beside him.

"What?"

"Fear."

"Fear of what?" asked Jon. Damian blinked back tears and turned to face his friend.

"Fear of, like, feeling this way," he said shakily. "I've never felt this way, Jon. It's terrifying."

Jon's eyes widened. He gently placed a hand on Damian's shoulder.

" _Dami,"_ he whispered.

"I thought my life was just going to be training with my father, being Robin, and one day, maybe even becoming Batman. And if I needed to procreate, there would be options for doing so. I never imagined myself needing companionship with anyone. But then you came along, and you make me feel so…I don't know… _light."_

"Light?"

"Like, like I'm weightless. Like I'm floating. I don't know, it's weird. But it's out of my control."

"And you like being in control of everything," Jon stated.

"Well, yeah. But, like, whenever I'm with you, I feel like I'm going to fall apart, but in a good way. And you're the only thing holding me together. UGH! _I don't know what I'm saying,"_ Damian groaned.

Jon sat quietly and listened to Damian's confession.

"I keep studying fairy tales, and how stupid they are, how the whole "true love" and "love conquers all" stuff is so unrealistic and deluded, yet that's what I'm feeling. I feel like one of those animated characters who lives for companionship and nothing else, and that disgusts me."

"Wanting to be with me disgusts you?" asked Jon.

"No. Just the fact that it's not what I expected. I thought love and romance was all bullshit. A made-up notion to market to women and gullible idiots who have no greater purpose in life. I never thought it was real. And to find out I was wrong about it, about everything…I don't know…" Damian trailed off.

"So you judged something before you experienced it. Big deal. Who hasn't done that?" said Jon, trying to be generous.

"It's like I have to look at myself in a whole different light," Damian sighed. "I thought I was independent. Capable of taking care of myself."

"You still are," said Jon. "Having feelings for another person doesn't make you weak."

"It's more than having feelings for you, Jon," Damian conceded. He turned to look at his younger friend, and immediately felt his heart swell, almost as if it would burst. "You're like… _everything_."

Thinking that this was his best opportunity to do so, and before Damian could say something to backtrack on everything he'd just confessed, Jon leaned in quickly and devoured Damian's lips in a passionate kiss. Wrapping his arms around Damian's neck, the half-Kryptionian pulled him closer, running his fingers through Damian's hair with one hand and caressing his back with the other. Damian helplessly melted into the kiss and leaned back onto the couch, pulling Jon down with him.

Jon pulled away slightly, only to move his lips to Damian's cheeks, pecking them softly and trailing kisses to Damian's neck. Damian gasped lightly as he felt Jon's breath tickle his neck. Stretching out comfortably underneath the taller boy, Damian let himself sink into the cushions, Jon on top of him, and the two boys continued making out.

" _I love you, Jon,"_ Damian whimpered helplessly. _"You have no idea."_

" _I have some idea,"_ Jon whispered against Damian's lips.

" _I don't think you do,"_ breathed Damian, running his fingers down Jon's mop of black hair and down to the nape of his neck. _"I'm yours. I don't ever want this to stop, and that scares me."_

" _Shh,"_ Jon quieted him, rubbing his nose against Damian's. _"It'll be OK, Damian."_

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I feel safe with you," said Damian. "Like you can protect me against anything."

"I can. And I will," said Jon, kissing Damian on the lips again.

" _I want to give you everything I have. Everything I am. I want to be with you forever,"_ Damian whispered blissfully.

"We have time," Jon agreed. "We have our whole lives ahead of us."

Damian pulled back and smiled at Jon.

"What?" he asked.

"You're cute," Damian said with a grin. Jon's face turned red.

"I think you're cute, too," he giggled. Damian kissed Jon's nose.

"Hee hee!" squealed Jon. Suddenly, the half-alien sat up from the couch, scooped Damian up bridal-style, and carried him over to the exit of the Fortress.

"What are you doing?" asked Damian, still smiling.

"Just hold on," said Jon.

Soon, Superboy was soaring through the sky, still holding Robin, high above the ocean, lifting him higher yet, and Robin held onto his love, enjoying every moment.

As if they were dancing, Jon shifted Damian in his arms, now holding him under his armpits like a large doll, and twirled them around.

Damian laughed giddily, feeling a little nervous, but still secure that Jon would never drop him. He placed his hands on Jon's shoulders and smiled wide as the sun, and Jon lifted him up so that Damian was floating a little taller than he.

"What are you doing?" Damian asked nervously.

"Do you trust me?" Jon grinned wickedly.

"Of course, but I—JON!" Damian wailed as Jon tossed him up in the sky, and then caught him in his arms again, once again holding him bridal-style.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Jon giggled as Damian wrapped his arms even tighter around Jon's neck.

" _You dork,"_ Damian said softly, snuggling his cheek against Jon's.

Damian stroked Jon's cheek with his fingers, and gripped the back of his neck with his other hand. Jon continued flying them until they reached land again, setting Damian down on the first skyscraper rooftop that they came upon. The sun was setting and setting the sky aglow with pink and purple clouds.

"Beautiful," said Damian,

"Yeah," Jon agreed.

"Oh, crap," Damian muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, I left my mask and gloves back at the base," said Damian. "So we can't go out in public at the moment."

"I didn't bring you out here to go on patrol," Jon said, taking hold of Damian's hand. "I brought you out here to—well, I don't really know, I just wanted…"

"I know, you don't have to explain," said Damian, turning to face Jon. "I'm excited, too."

"Yeah," said Jon, leaning in.

The two boys kissed softly.

"But we should get back to the base before anything happens," said Damian.

"Right," said Jon. Stepping back a bit, the alien boy looked Damian up and down with a grin, internally debating with himself which way he should carry him. "Um, so…?"

Damian didn't say anything, he just wrapped his arms around Jon's neck, and Jon bent down to hook his hand under Damian's knees and placed another behind his back.

Flying off the skyscraper and back to the base, Jon couldn't help but gloat a little.

"You like being carried like this, huh?"

"Only by you," Damian sighed.

* * *

"So when are we going to tell our parents about us?" asked Jon, when they got back to the Fortress of Attitude.

"Um, I don't know. I already told my father I like you. He approves."

"Yeah, I know. I told my dad, too, and he's cool with us. But I meant like, to make the official announcement," said Jon.

"I guess I could ask my father if our families could have dinner this week or something," Damian suggested.

"And then we'll tell them…what?" Jon goaded.

Damian smiled.

"That we're boyfriends?"

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 05  
Please review, thanks.


	6. Chapter 06

**Don't Deny It: Chapter 06**  
Chikorita-Trainer1  
T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or Super Sons or anything that might be referenced in this story.

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent, please come in," said Alfred, gesturing Clark and Lois into Wayne Manor, along with Jon.

"Thank you for having us over," said Lois, shaking Alfred's hand and handing him a bottle of wine.

"Hey," said Damian to Jon, who smiled and blushed.

"Hi," said Jon. "Hi, Titus. Hi, Ace," he said to the dogs, who came up and started sniffing the guests.

"How are you?" asked Bruce, leading the Kents into the living room to sit down by the fire while Alfred poured the wine.

"Pretty good. You?" said Clark.

"Oh, pretty stressed-out, as usual," chuckled Bruce. "Never a dull moment with them, you know."

"So, do they know what this dinner is about?" asked Jon, following Damian further into the house.

"I mean, _probably,"_ Damian said. "Your dad already knows you like me, right?"

"Yeah. I haven't told my mom, but she probably knows. She knows everything," said Jon, grinning.

"Right. So they know, but this is just the official announcement," said Damian.

"You make it sound like we're getting married or something," giggled Jon. "Not that that hasn't crossed my mind."

"Yeah. Me too, honestly," Damian conceded, moving closer to his boyfriend.

Jon put his hands on Damian's waist and drew him close. Damian wrapped his arms around Jon's middle, and rested his head on the half-Kryptonian's shoulder.

"You're nervous," Jon declared.

"No, I'm not. I already know they'll approve—"

"No, you're literally nervous. I can feel it in your body," said Jon. "Your heart's beating like crazy and your nerves are on edge—"

"Maybe I'm not nervous about telling them, maybe I'm just happy to be with you!" Damian protested, raising his head off of Jon's shoulder to look him in the eye.

"Fair enough," Jon answered, nudging his nose against Damian's. "But you can tell me if you're nervous. I'm not going to judge you."

" _I know,"_ Damian sighed. _"I love you."_

" _I love you, too,"_ said Jon, kissing Damian passionately. "OK, now you're like, about to explode!" Jon teased.

"Alright, enough!" huffed Damian, playfully pushing Jon away. "FATHER! Is dinner ready, yet?"

"I don't know, Damian!" Bruce called from the other room. "Alfred?" Bruce asked the butler. After that, Damian stopped listening.

"Well, they'll tell us when it's time to eat. In the meantime," Damian began. "Would you like to play Mario Kart or something?"

"Sure," said Jon.

* * *

 _Half and hour later…_

"Thank you all for coming," Damian began. "Jon and I wanted our families to get together so we could officially announce…we're dating."

Every adult at the table smiled warmly.

"We're happy to hear that, boys," said Clark.

"I admit, I was a little shocked at first," said Lois. "Jon's only ten, most boys his age aren't interested in dating anyone, yet."

"If Jon were like most boys, I wouldn't feel for him what I do," said Damian. Jon chuckled. His boyfriend, it seemed, always chose to use arrogant, flowery words, especially when he felt others might be judging him.

"I know you were worried about the age-difference," said Clark. "But we want you to know that we approve, and that we will be here to support your relationship. If kids at yours school give you a hard time about it, we promise we will get involved and defend you."

"Thanks, Dad," said Jon. "I'm not really sure what they'll say. Even if we say, like, 'it's none of your business!' I know they'll still ask questions about it."

"All you need to say is that your parents approve and support your relationship, and that's all that matters," said Lois.

"And if they should persist, well, we have ways of making them silent," Damian uttered menacingly.

"Please don't murder your schoolmates, Damian," Bruce groaned.

The table erupted in laughter.

* * *

After dinner, Bruce, Clark, Lois and Alfred all convened in the living room once again, while Damian took Jon to his room to be alone.

"I'm glad they're so cool with it," said Jon. "With us."

"Me, too," Damian said. "And I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time about it before. I was just scared."

"I know," said Jon, stroking Damian's face with his hand. "It's OK. I come from a very hopeful family. Yours is…kind-of a bummer."

"tt. Realistic and not naïve is not 'bummer,'" Damian insisted, while running his fingers through his boyfriend's hair. "Heck, Grayson has enough optimism to balance out the rest of us."

"Does he know about us?"

"Yeah. I believe he was the first to suspect."

"What about your other brothers and sisters? What do they think?"

"I don't know," said Damian. "Whether they know or would care."

"Do you like having a lot of siblings?" asked Jon, sitting down on the padded windowsill and pulling Damian down onto his lap.

Damian shrugged.

"I don't spend a lot of time with any of them," he admitted. "But yes, I suppose I like it."

"Being an only child is a little boring, but I get all the attention," Jon commented.

"I suppose there are pluses and minuses for both existences," Damian muttered. "Why are we making small-talk when we could just be making out?"

"Shut up," Jon giggled, pressing his lips to Damian's once more.

* * *

The hours passed, and soon it was time for the Kents to head back to Metropolis.

"Thanks again for a great dinner, Alfred," said Clark, shaking the butler's hand.

"My pleaser, Master Kent," said Alfred.

"Is Jon coming down?" asked Lois, putting her coat on.

"Yeah. I texted Damian that it's time for him to go. They should be coming down soon," Bruce answered.

"Are we going?" asked Jon, flying down the stairs, Damian descending behind him.

"Yeah," said Clark.

"OK. Goodnight Mr. Wayne, Mr. Pennyworth," said Jon. "And I'll text you later, D."

"Goodnight," said Damian. His countenance was calm and formal, but internally he was already missing Jon.

"Goodnight, Bruce," said Clark.

* * *

"Thanks for having them over to clear the air, Father," said Damian, as he had Bruce suited up for patrol.

"Oh, no problem. It's always nice to see their family," said Bruce.

"No, I mean, thank you for acknowledging and supporting my and Jon's relationship. I was scared that you all wouldn't approve."

"I know, son. It's fine. Like I said, as long as you boys aren't having—"

"STOP! Stop bringing that up! Please!" cried Damian, covering his ears. Bruce burst out laughing.

"OK, sorry! Honestly, at your age, that's the reaction I WANT you to have."

"Can we just go?!" grumbled Damian.

"Yes. After you," said Bruce, gesturing to the Batmobile.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 06  
Please review, thanks.


	7. Chapter 07

**Don't Deny It: Chapter 07**  
Chikorita-Trainer1  
T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Super Sons.

* * *

Going to school was pretty routine for Jon and Damian, even after they established their relationship. They were in different classes, and it's not like anyone regularly asked them about their love lives. Jon wore his heart on his sleeve to begin with, so no one seemed to notice any change in his behavior, and Damian, despite being very happy internally, was very good at masking his moods. No one noticed a change in him either.

However, in the halls before and after class, the boys couldn't help standing very close to each other by their lockers, flirting, and kissing. People inevitably saw that.

At lunch one day, they were finally approached by some of their fellow students. Jon and Damian were sitting side by side at a small lunch table, huddled close together, watching a video on Jon's phone.

"Hey," said another student, Brandon.

"Hi?" Damian answered with an upward inflection, condescendingly.

"So…for the record…you guys are boyfriend and boyfriend?" asked Brandon. In spite of his confidence, Damian's heart leaped into his throat; this was what he'd been dreading.

"Yes," said Jon, protectively putting his arm around Damian's shoulder.

"Um, you're in 4th grade…he's in 7th," Brandon stated.

"Yes," said Jon, gripping Damian tighter.

"What's that all about?"

"We have things in common, we have feelings for each other, so we're in a relationship," Jon answered.

"OK. Cool. I mean, I'm cool with it!" Brandon declared. Damian was instinctively suspicious. Why would someone ask about something that was none of their business unless they had a problem with it?

"Thanks?" Damian muttered. Jon just softly kissed the side of his head.

"Just saying, other people might think it's gross."

"Other people can fuck off," said Damian.

"Shh!" Jon hissed. Swearing at another student wasn't going to get them anywhere but in detention.

"No, I'm just saying—other people like, they don't have a problem with two boys being together, but a 7th grader with a 4th grader—"

"We thought the same thing, too," Jon explained. "But our parents are OK with it. That's what matters."

"Right! Right!" Brandon stuttered. "Alright! See ya!" And he left.

"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" asked Jon. Damian folded his arms and pouted nonetheless.

"I suppose not," he grumbled.

 _"They'll get used to it,"_ Jon whispered in Damian's ear. Then he kissed him. Damian wanted to keep frowning, but the sensation tickled and he grinned and giggled helplessly.

 _"Jon…!"_ he complained, turning back to his boyfriend. Damian put his hands on Jon's face, pulled him in and kissed him on the lips.

"GET A ROOM!" they heard someone yell. Damian quickly pulled off of Jon and looked around. The cafeteria was so crowded it was almost impossible to pinpoint where it had come from.

"Who said that?" hissed Damian.

"Shh! Shh! Shh! Forget it!" Jon insisted, grabbing Damian's face in his hands now, and turning him back to look at him. "It's going to happen. Even if we were a boy and a girl, somebody was bound to say that."

"They're just jealous," Damian conceded.

"Yeah, probably," Jon grinned.

* * *

"I understand if you don't want to, like, post pictures of us all over Instagram and stuff," Jon said one evening, when the two boys were hanging out in his room.

"I'm not even on Instagram," said Damian, looking up from his textbook.

"No, I know. I just mean, like, we don't need to broadcast it everywhere. I know we're together, you know we're together. That's all that matters."

Damian smiled slowly, sighed, and kissed Jon. He loved kissing Jon, probably even more than fighting crime.

 _"You are so cute,"_ he whispered.

 _"So are you,"_ Jon giggled, kissing back.

"C'mere," Damian said soflty, taking Jon's hand in his and leading him to the small twin bed. The two boys sat down and Damian quickly adjusted his position so that he was lying down, peeling back the covers while never breaking his kiss with Jon.

"Are we just taking a study break?" Jon asked, half-rhetorically.

"Mm-hmm," Damian moaned. The two boys got comfortable under the blankets and Damian rested his head on Jon's chest. Jon pulled the covers up to their shoulders so that only their heads were sticking out, and the two boyfriends cuddled and caressed each other for a few moments, eventually falling into a light sleep.

 _"I love you,"_ said Jon, kissing Damian's head.

 _"I love you, too,"_ sighed Damian.

* * *

THE END  
Please review, thanks.


End file.
